by Sékou & Tamala Newbold
Written by: |
Written by Frank Military |
Directed by: |
Ernest Dickerson |
Studio: |
Showtime Entertainment & Neufeld Rehme Productions |
Cast: |
Charles Dutton, Courtney B. Vance, Kadeem Hardison, Lonette McKee, Garland Whitt |
Blind what?? Yeah, yeah, I know you've never heard of it, but hear us out. It'll be worth your while.
HBO better watch its butt. The days of HBO being the solitary choice for cable owners may be coming to
an end. Looks like Showtime may be upping the proverbial ante by creating some quality programming for
African-American viewers. As proof we offer Blind Faith, a Showtime original movie that was so good it
should have made it to the big screen.
SYNOPSIS
It's the late fifties. Charles Dutton has
busted his butt to become one of the very first officers of
color in the NYPD. His beat and his home are in the Bronx, where he rules over his wife and three children
like a burly Gestapo. The oldest of his children, Charlie, is a soft-spoken, gentle young man who
gravitates toward art rather than the police academy. Dutton's idyllic life comes crashing down around him
when Charlie is accused of killing a local white boy. Courtney Vance plays Dutton's younger brother, a
Fordham educated attorney who is charged with saving his nephew. He quickly discovers that the facts in
the case don't make any sense. So why is Charlie stubbornly sticking to the same implausible story? What
is he hiding? The movie swirls around this mysterious secret, race relations in New York City and the
tense interrelationships of Dutton's family to create a riveting tsunami of a movie.
THESPIANS
Charles Dutton gives a compelling, Oscar-worthy performance as the ber-authoritarian, marine-cum-police
officer, Charles Williams, Sr. In some of the movie's most gripping scenes, he compels the viewer not only
to witness but to feel his emotional and spiritual deterioration as he stubbornly clings to his own versions
of right and wrong. Courtney Vance deftly portrays the precarious, and often lonely, uphill battle attorney
John Williams faced?- both from the 1950s "justice" system as well as from his own family-- as he tried the
case. Other noteworthy performances are newcomer Garland Whitt's silent but chilling presence as Dutton's
wrongly accused son, Charles Jr.; Kadeem Hardison's role as Eddie, the saxophone playing black sheep of the
family; and Lonette McKee's turn as the woman who must ultimately choose to fight for her oldest child, no
matter the cost.
CRITIQUE
Run, do not walk, to your nearest video store and get this movie. Blind Faith is a welcome respite from
the run of the mill booty flicks that have recently flooded the African-American movie scene. This film
examines issues of race, justice, sexism and morality in a non-preaching, non-judgmental manner. If you're
looking for a well-written, thought-provoking story, combined with dynamite acting, Blind Faith is definitely
the film to see!
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